The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-19
NEW REPEATING nr1r.

NEW REPEATING RIFLE,
Army circles have been not little agi-
tatcd during the past two or three months
over the reports from France concerning
the new repeating rifle being placed in the
hands OF the rcguarS-Thc l.ebcl gun. This
weapon is described ms being capable OF
throwing a little steel-pointcd ball, which
makes thousand revolutions minute,
distance Of Il mile and half, The cart
ridges are So small that soldiers carry 200
rounds and the bullet, at q distance OF 500
yards, will penetrate u brick wall depth
OF eight inches. Experiments have been
made here at the arsenal in Washing
ton during the past two years upon a cart
ridge which will clothc an ordinary rifle
with much greater powers than the one
now being introduced in the French army,
/ II is reinforced cartridge, using three
times the weight Of the bail in powder,
thus giving the former the greatest posi-
bile force. The balls are like those used in
the French rifle, made OF steel, and are 50
small that 200 rounds can readily be car.
ricd by each man, while the power is al
most twice as great MS that of the French
invention An ordinary muskct or Spring
| field rifle will send q bullet from two and
hall to three and half miles. 1t is nm
dcistood that, although il is the invention
of a private citizen, the option has been
given 10 this government, and that ii no
defects are found in il after further trials
| il will be introduced in our army.
RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
The annual report OF T. a. Nash, gen
/ cral superintendent Of the railway mail
! service, shows that ut the close Of the fiscal
| year ended June 30, 1887, mail service had
| been authorized upon 1870, $50 miles Of rail-
| road, postal clerks being employed dis
! uibutng the mail on ll6,G09 miles, service
on the remaining 1880 miles being per-
formed by closed pouches At the same
date there were in operation ioriy-onc in
land steamboat routes, aggrcgating 1854
miles, on which postal clerks were em-
ploycd. 10 handle the mails while in
| transit there were employed ON railroad
routes I, iOi and on steamboat routes fifty
seven railway postal clerks, being total OF
4iG0 men. While in the performance Of
their duty the postal clerks on railroads
! Travelled lin crews l07 ,OG1 ,6i3 miles, and
those employed on steamboats, SOS, az
miles During the year the railway postal
clerks distributed j,S3i, 800, $50 pieces OF or
binary mail matter, and protected, record
ed, rcccipicd for aud dispatched
Ii, 72j, 300 registered packages and
cases and 9jOGl3 through regis.
tered pouches and inner registered
sacks During the year, 7.2l3 miles Of
new railroad service have been added,
being an increased Of 5.SJ per cent. The
lines ON which service WAS performed by
clerks show M increase oi i,n.b miles, or
j.T per cent Lines supplied 10y closed
pouches were increased $50 per cent. In
land steamboat routes decreased from a
IN ~. and tho length Ut routes from >. ai3jl
miles 10 j,S6l.Gg. The total number ol
clerks in the service NJ the close Of the
fiscal year So was 1913, on June 20, 1857.
In 1886 there were handled hy clerks IN
the railway mail service, of letters, orli.
nary mail matter, registered packages,
through registered pouches, aud inner reg.
istcrd packages, j,3i1, SD, Oh; in 1857,
G,Sjl, 3Dl, 0j7, being an increase Of j0', as,
Ol3 pieces. During the year. >, ISL ,5D5, Oii
pieces OF all classes oi mail matter were
handled, mud uui 81 Ibis number 1901
cron in distribution were found. making
one error iur each 3,313 pieces handled
The expenditures ior the service during
the year aggregate Sl,7l3,39l, leaving 81,
Gng Of the appropriation uncVpondrl. Iol
igo next fiscal year, s2,ujl, Us is asked.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN INTERVIEWER.
Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, the British
fisheries commissioner, gave an audicuC,
, al D o'clock this evening 10 about twcnt,
, newspaper men. The conversation range,
nom The powers oi the British Parliament
on the one hand 20 the pru,isious oi M,
. BuitcrWouh commercial union Hill, on 10,
. other. Mr. Chamberlain wa. unlcrtop,
. 10 .ay, at one point, that the purpose %
. the commission was to make an cnliwll
, new treaty. the existing treaty having
/ proved unsatisfactory; bat, upon iurihr
/ inquiry. especially N Ia whether IN inter
. probation al tie Uyialug treaty might NO
/ hc found which would meet the views a.
4 ! both -lrs. he became nuncUmmitial, be
, yund the point II admitting that sucl
. might be- 'hD possible outcome ul The con
. ference. lie said that though. ns matte
. ui lIrt. hc supposed that Minister Wee
, | and himself. being majority ul the Brit
/ in commits ion could decide amy mDuic,
I point. hr should consider any arrange
! mcut which lid not have ihc lull concur
4 renee ui sir Charles Upper a very lHm'
b. and unsatisfactory on. TIE thought j
o | mllpl, that the subject oi cummoWia
, union with Canada would come before th
commission in any way. There va
70 s'grplN shadow Oi doubt that amy ur
d murrmcni agreed tp by the British com
, .mi.-ioncn would be- held binding u,
+ their government lie was not at lib,n'
/, iu disclose ihc limits within which ih
i British cummi e.ioncr could treat thyi
|, instructions bcing confidential. lie di'
|, not think that any sane man on the othC
l. side Oi the water ever thought 81 war us
r. remote possibility in connection with th
o fisheries dispute.
D ST ufE STATE DEPARTMENT.
p Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, Sir Charlg
= Tuppor aud Sir Lionel West, British min
? i.itr constituting the British fishery com
. mission, called nj the department Of stat
e at noon today, where the minister inirl
Z duccd his fellow commissioners 10 Seer
: tnry Bayard. The conversation was not ,
y q formal NATURE and In tho ahfunco ,
I, Mcs.r4. Putnam and Angel no effort va
u made 10 fix day for thr lirt conilrnc
oi the ncgOtiatoW Tomorrow the l'uiI-
commissioners will be- presented Ia 10
h President by Secretary liaygrd. The ini
p cations are that early next week the tp,
l. spnlnliycs 81 the two governments vi
,, come together ut the department Of ttnl
y and IN an informal way arrange for ill
" conduct ~ the negotiations, the huun Z
ir meeting the lvhgh aud frequency oi Oh
sessions. tho clerical assistance ncCdc,
D. and other details. Il Il believed That u
lc the end Of next week those pplmlnau'
!, viii have been arranged and the lufm.
u work Of The nrgDtiniuB begin. Meat
e. while, the visiting diplomats will have q
y opportunity 10 avail thcmsclyC- oi the ~
~ cial courtesy Of the capital.
!, NAVAL uTsEUNE.
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